Chapter 243: Conquest

Qin Mu found himself pinned to the wall repeatedly, and soon, landscape patterns adorned every wall in Crippled Elder Village, save for Granny Si's house. Just as Qin Mu prepared to charge again, he realized his vital qi was completely depleted, and he slumped in defeat.

He had lost. The Hegemon Body was thoroughly defeated. Not only was his swordsmanship no match for the Village Chief's, but his vital qi also paled in comparison. It seemed he had no choice but to accept the title of Human Emperor.

The Village Chief, with a gentle expression, offered, "You can always try again after you've recovered your vital qi."

Qin Mu composed himself and replied, "Alright!"

The Village Chief's face darkened as he watched the cowherd boy sprint off, intent on cultivating his peculiar Hegemon Body Three Elixirs technique to restore his power.

"You cheated," the Apothecary remarked, approaching and watching Qin Mu's retreating figure.

The Village Chief looked surprised. "Did I?"

The Apothecary sneered, "Your sword techniques are incredibly draining on vital qi. With your level of cultivation, you should only be able to perform them two, perhaps three times at most in the Five Luminaries Realm. How many times did you just use them? Seven, wasn't it?"

The Village Chief's face flushed. He stammered, "My vital qi's depth is beyond your imagination. I can control it to perform the technique four times, using the minimal amount each time... But Mu'er's vital qi truly is immense. I originally thought that by the Five Luminaries Realm, there wouldn't be much difference between our vital qi cultivation, but unexpectedly..."

The Apothecary chuckled, "Unexpectedly, he's like a vast water tank, and you're merely a bucket."

The Village Chief sighed, shaking his head. "In the Spirit Embryo Realm, his vital qi was more than twice as profound as mine, but it's impossible for that gap to remain so wide in the Five Luminaries Realm. I have no weaknesses in the Five Luminaries Realm, but then again, neither does he. You've noticed, but keep it to yourself."

The Apothecary chuckled, "Using the same sword technique, he couldn't defeat you. He's already lost, so why would I mention it? However, you just said the Human Emperor's title only comes with responsibility and burdens, with no benefits. That doesn't seem quite right, does it?"

The Village Chief casually replied, "What benefits could there be? Why would I not know about them?"

The Apothecary's eyes gleamed as he said, "I've heard some legends about the Human Emperor and the Human Emperor's Seal. The Seal seems connected to many ancient lineages, some dating back tens, even hundreds of thousands of years. Certain sacred lands were founded by Human Emperors, and it's even said that the Human Emperor's Seal carries more authority than the Emperor's imperial jade seal."

The Village Chief replied nonchalantly, "Those are ancient legends from who knows how many years ago. Nowadays, the Human Emperor's Seal is just a lump of black iron. Who would obey its command?"

The Apothecary offered a slight smile. "Legend has it that once the Human Emperor's Seal appears, it can command all the heroes in the land."

The Village Chief yawned lazily. "The Human Emperor's Seal is with Mu'er. Let him take it out and flaunt it; see which sect obeys his orders. It'll be a good outcome if he simply avoids getting killed."

The Apothecary retorted, somewhat disgruntled, "You knew it was so dangerous, so why did you still give him the Human Emperor's Seal?"

The Village Chief's indolence vanished, replaced by a solemn gaze and flickering sword light in his eyes. "This is a responsibility, and a heavy burden," he stated. "When it fell on my shoulders, I couldn't bear it, and so my limbs were severed. But this burden must be carried by someone; I cannot simply abandon it and take it with me to my grave!"

"Some things, even when you know they're dangerous, still need to be done!"

The Village Chief exhaled a turbid breath. "If one acts, there's a chance of failure, a chance of death, but at least a sliver of hope remains. If one does nothing, there's no hope at all. The deeds of past Human Emperors are far greater than you can imagine. Mu'er is excellent."

The Apothecary said with a touch of pity, "I just feel a bit sorry for Mu'er, being drawn onto your old path. How can he ever surpass you?"

"He can't defeat me."

The Village Chief's voice held a trace of pride: "Using Sword Rending Mountains and Rivers, he will never defeat me. While Sword Rending Mountains and Rivers is comprised of fourteen basic sword forms, I've refined it to be utterly flawless. If he tries to integrate the Imperial Preceptor's three basic sword forms into my technique, he'll have to modify Sword Rending Mountains and Rivers. His idea is sound, but his perspective isn't as elevated as mine; any modification will introduce flaws, and the more he changes, the more flaws will appear."

The Apothecary stared, dumbfounded, then exhaled a turbid breath, watching Qin Mu walk away quickly, his heart filled with sympathy.

"However, he can use me to hone his swordsmanship."

The Village Chief smiled subtly. "The more he modifies Sword Rending Mountains and Rivers, the deeper his understanding of the sword will become. A deeper understanding allows one to transcend mere swordsmanship and approach the Dao. If his comprehension of the sword reaches the level of Dao, it will no longer matter whether the basic forms have fourteen or seventeen moves."

"Learning and applying sword techniques merely represent the realm of 'skill,' where one applies what is learned. To advance to the 'method' realm, one must innovate; the Imperial Preceptor of Yan Kang is at this stage, where creation defines the 'method' realm. Moving even further, casting aside both 'method' and 'skill,' one reaches the realm of 'Dao.'"

The Village Chief explained, "Mu'er is currently somewhere between the 'skill' and 'method' realms. By using me to hone his swordsmanship, he will improve himself far more than if I simply taught him techniques."

After a long time, Qin Mu's cultivation returned to its peak. However, instead of immediately seeking out the Village Chief, he sat in quiet contemplation, striving to perfect his Sword Rending Mountains and Rivers, making it utterly flawless. His goal was to seamlessly integrate the Imperial Preceptor's three basic sword forms into Sword Rending Mountains and Rivers, leaving no vulnerabilities. He knew that using the Village Chief's own sword techniques against him would be futile, but with refinement and improvement, there was still a chance of victory.

He meditated intently, mentally deconstructing and reassembling various sword moves, then engaging in imaginary sword duels against a simulated Village Chief. Yet, every simulated encounter ended in his defeat. He simulated countless battles in his mind, but no matter how he refined his techniques, the outcome remained unchanged: defeat.

After an indeterminate period, Qin Mu's spirits lifted. He stood, having finally defeated the Village Chief with his refined sword techniques in his mental simulations. Enthusiastically, he declared, "Village Chief, let's go again!"

The Village Chief smiled. "Alright."

Qin Mu charged forward, unleashing his improved sword techniques. Moments later, he was sent flying high into the air, scattering a trail of blood before landing in the chicken coop. A dozen or so chicken-dragons cackled furiously and charged him. Qin Mu swiftly leaped into the air, and the chicken-dragons flapped their wings, soaring after him, their wings like swords and their mouths spewing fiery dragons.

In mid-air, mountains and rivers materialized, seemingly engulfing the dozen chicken-dragons like ancient peaks and vast rivers. After just one move, the plucked, bald chicken-dragons plummeted from the sky, a flurry of feathers drifting aimlessly around them.

Qin Mu landed, utterly dumbfounded. The chicken-dragons, cackling wildly, scurried into their coop, slamming the wooden gate shut and daring not to show their heads. "Cluck-cluck-cluck!" the old hen squawked fiercely. Qin Mu waved his hand, leaving several sword qi marks etched into the wooden gate of the chicken coop. Inside the coop, panic ensued.

Qin Mu blinked, staring at his hands. When had he become so formidable?

"Mu'er is truly mighty! He can finally defeat chickens!" the Cripple exclaimed admiringly.

Qin Mu's face flushed slightly. He resumed his deep contemplation when, suddenly, the Mute tossed a sword pellet his way, gesticulating and making sounds: "A-ba! A-ba! Ah ah!" Qin Mu thanked the Mute, understanding that he had just forged this sword pellet and wanted Qin Mu to test it.

He gripped the sword pellet, and as vital qi flowed into it, countless sword lights burst forth. These ethereal lights seemed to have no solid form, twisting and shifting with the agility of his own vital qi. Gripping the sword pellet, Qin Mu threw a punch, and the sword light within instantly transformed into a colossal dragon that roared and surged through the small village.

Qin Mu was startled, and the Village Chief, equally shocked, glared angrily at the Mute.

Qin Mu retracted his fist, his mind subtly shifting. He felt as though the sword pellet in his palm was about to melt. He tightened his grip, and the sword light morphed into a colossal blacksmith's hammer, striking down with immense force, gouging a large pit in the ground.

Qin Mu leaped into the air, and saber light erupted, like the sun setting over the Eastern Sea with a thousand overlapping waves. The saber light surged in endless layers, as a great sun ascended. Immediately, the saber technique ceased, and the sword light transformed into a colossal brush, sweeping through the air to paint a vivid flood dragon. The dragon then contorted and shifted, becoming a four-zhang-long spear. Qin Mu, grasping the spear in mid-air, charged forth directly towards the heart of the enemy, "striking Huanglong."

The Village Chief's eye twitched uncontrollably as he shot an unfriendly glance at the Mute. The Mute quickly darted into the blacksmith's shop, not daring to show his face. The spear vanished in mid-air, replaced by countless sword lights that instantly transformed into vast mountains and rivers.

Sword Rending Mountains and Rivers!

Qin Mu landed, a mix of surprise and delight filling his heart. The sword pellet forged by the Mute perfectly suited him; it seemed to have refined the very essence of metal and iron from profound iron and profound gold, extracting their inherent "qi" and discarding their physical form. Despite being called a sword pellet, it possessed incredible versatility, allowing him to execute all his fist techniques, Dao arts, and sword forms without any hindrance. The Mute's forging techniques had truly neared the Dao!

Qin Mu put the sword pellet away, choosing not to use it to challenge the Village Chief. The Mute then poked his head out from the blacksmith's shop, gestured twice, and drew a hand across his neck, implying that this sword pellet could absolutely eliminate the Village Chief in the Five Luminaries Realm.

The Village Chief grew furious, his facial wrinkles twitching. If Qin Mu had indeed used the sword pellet, the sheer power of his swordsmanship would have surged, and he might very well have been defeated.

Qin Mu shook his head. "Grandpa Mute, the Village Chief isn't using a weapon, so I can't either. Otherwise, he won't be genuinely convinced by his defeat."

The Mute rolled his eyes, a look of exasperated hopelessness on his face.

Qin Mu continued his deep contemplation, refining his Sword Rending Mountains and Rivers, but every subsequent encounter yielded the same result. Each defeat brought new insights, making his Sword Rending Mountains and Rivers progressively more perfect, yet every improvement still led to another loss. Finally, after one last defeat, Qin Mu realized he could no longer improve the technique. His understanding and perspective had reached their limit.

Qin Mu paused, then a sudden realization struck him. He performed "Sunset Surging River," a move from the Sunset Swordplay. His swordsmanship surged like a mighty river, with a crimson sun half-submerged in its depths, countless sword lights bursting forth from its heart. He had only practiced this move once or twice, yet the power he unleashed was astonishing, as if he had spent a century perfecting it.

Filled with admiration, Qin Mu prostrated himself before the Village Chief, performing the ritual of apprenticeship.

The Village Chief chuckled, "Get up, there's no need for so many formalities. These past few days, I've taught you a few other moves from the sword diagram. With your current mastery, they shouldn't be difficult to learn... Mute, you scoundrel, you actually have the nerve to come out and offer congratulations!"